Diamond Jubilee
60th Annual Rice Group Meeting - 26-28 April, 2025
The 60th Annual Rice Group Meeting (ARGM), commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of India’s flagship rice research platform under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice (AICRIP), was successfully conducted from 26th to 28th April 2025. The event brought together eminent scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, and institutional heads to deliberate on strategic advancements in rice research, varietal development, and sustainable intensification. The inaugural session was graced by several distinguished dignitaries, including Dr. M.L. Jat (Secretary DARE and DG, ICAR), who emphasized the integration of climate-resilient technologies and genomic tools to accelerate genetic gains; Dr. D.K. Yadava (DDG, Crop Sciences), who advocated for next-generation breeding and trait discovery; and Dr. R.C. Agarwal (DDG, Education), who highlighted the need for capacity building in cutting-edge areas such as molecular breeding, phenomics, and AI in agriculture. Dr. R.S. Paroda, Former Secretary (DARE) and DG (ICAR), reflected on the historical achievements of AICRIP and called for a stronger policy-research interface. Contributions from Dr. S.K. Pradhan (ADG, FFC), Dr. Aldas Janaih (VC, PJTSAU), Dr. S. Jayalakshmi Devi (VC, ANGRAU), and Dr. A.K. Singh (Emeritus Scientist, ICAR-IARI) underscored the importance of multi-institutional collaboration and translational research. Shri Ajay Bhalotia, Chairman of Fortune Ltd., reiterated the role of public-private partnerships in scaling up innovations.
The scientific sessions spanned critical themes including varietal evaluation, grain quality enhancement, biotic and abiotic stress resilience, resource-use efficiency, and digital integration in precision farming. The meeting featured rigorous technical sessions on breeding for yield stability, climate-resilient traits, grain quality, disease-pest resistance, resource-use efficiency, and integrated crop management.
Key outcomes included finalization of multi-location testing protocols, identification of promising genotypes for pre-release trials, and strategic recommendations to enhance varietal deployment and outreach under different agro-ecologies. The 60th ARGM not only celebrated the legacy of coordinated rice research in India but also charted a visionary roadmap for leveraging genomics, digital technologies, and policy alignment to meet future food system challenges.
